Favorite Virginias

[Trumpet]

Originally Posted by Root

Peretti's blends its own stuff, truly one of the few that still do. I had only some of their english blends but its good stuff.
http://www.ljperetti.com/

Root

Blending is one thing, but to the best of my knowledge McClelland is the only domestic operation currently able to produce flake tobacco. It is most likely a recipe made for Peretti by McC. They do quite a bit of that.

Originally Posted by Trumpet

Blending is one thing, but to the best of my knowledge McClelland is the only domestic operation currently able to produce flake tobacco. It is most likely a recipe made for Peretti by McC. They do quite a bit of that.

Cornell and Diehl also have a flake press.

Originally Posted by Root

Cornell and Diehl also have a flake press.

Of coarse that is large scale commercial stuff you can do small scale stuff in house with a vise and Grandad's Tobacco Packer or something like it.

http://www.grandadtobacco.com/index.htm

Root

[Trumpet]

That is not a press for making true flake tobacco. That just smashes it together and makes a "plug" or a "kruble cake". Flake tobacco requires a much more significant press, steam/heat, and time.

From a well respected ASP'er...

I knew from my visit that their flake tobaccos were re-labelled
McClelland: they freely admitted the impossibility of individual shops
manufacturing flake. So I decided to explore their other blends - a
mail-order produced Dundee, Blend W, and Blend 111.

And another poster...

Until Paul Szabady, posting after a trip to Boston,MA, revealed that
Peretti's flakes were McClelland's, I started to "cross-link" all
available descriptions from our beloved ASP tobacconists.
Result (my theory): McC's #2020 = McCranies' Dundee = Peretti's
Cambridge.

The relabelling of flakes from McClelland is not some big industry secret, it's the norm. We used to sell the McC's flakes under different names, but we also blended our own mixtures as well

Originally Posted by Trumpet

That is not a press for making true flake tobacco. That just smashes it together and makes a "plug" or a "kruble cake". Flake tobacco requires a much more significant press, steam/heat, and time.

From a well respected ASP'er...

I knew from my visit that their flake tobaccos were re-labelled
McClelland: they freely admitted the impossibility of individual shops
manufacturing flake. So I decided to explore their other blends - a
mail-order produced Dundee, Blend W, and Blend 111.

And another poster...

Until Paul Szabady, posting after a trip to Boston,MA, revealed that
Peretti's flakes were McClelland's, I started to "cross-link" all
available descriptions from our beloved ASP tobacconists.
Result (my theory): McC's #2020 = McCranies' Dundee = Peretti's
Cambridge.

The relabelling of flakes from McClelland is not some big industry secret, it's the norm. We used to sell the McC's flakes under different names, but we also blended our own mixtures as well

I stand corrected on that, great research. Thanks for the info.

Root

[fitzsmoke]

Just revisited some Olson's My Own Blend 111 flake. Nice stuff IMO.

[atvjgjg]

i love macbaren Virgina #1

[SailorJack]

If you haven't, then you must try Old Red , one of Scotty's blends from pipesandcigars.com. If you like McClelland's 5100 or MacBarens #1, Old Red blows them out of the water. Read the posts on tobaccoreviews.com.

[Griz]

Only tried two so far. For me, Orlik golden sliced was the winner over MacB VA No. 1, but I'm partial to flake tobacco.

Originally Posted by fitzsmoke

MacBarens: Navy Flake

Is this considered a straight VA?

[sounds7]

Favorite Virginia for me is a tough one because their are many Styles of Virginia and I like them all. Some of my Favs include:
Samuel Gawith Full Virginia Flake, SG Brown Flake, McCranies Red Ribbon, McClellands 2010, and Rattrays "Hal O the Wind". Cant go wrong with any of these.

[Hermit]

My five favorite Virginias:
Union Square
Hal O' The Wynd
Hamborger Veermaster
Opening Night
Full Virginia Flake

[MarkC]

I can only list two favorite Virginias; I'm that new to the stuff!

1. Marble Kake (pipesandcigars.com)
2. Full Virginia Flake (Sam Gawith)

[Pypkius]

I have a tin of Hal o Wynd which I am yet to try, but Marlins Flake is a candy! Can never get enough of it, just like FVF.
By the way, SG Navy Flake is very special as well for those colder evenings...

[dmkerr]

Straight VA's?

1) McClellands #24
2) McClellands 5100
3) McClellands Navy Cavendish (cheating, but only a little)
4) Rattray's Hal O' The Wynd (I realize the current wisdom is that they add a dash of perique, making this a vaper by definition, but I can't taste the perique)
5) Sam Gawith FVF

[Hermit]

I'm bettin' y'all who didn't list Union Square
haven't tried it yet.